During my summer reading of Life of Pi, I believed the story to explain Yann Martel's belief that all religions are the same. Pi's faith in Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam signifies that one's religion matters not; what matters is that one choose a faith, even if it be atheism. I understood this aspect of Martel's message. I did not, however, realize why Martel believes all religions to be so similar. After class and group discussions, as well as personal reflection and research, I now understand that the elements in Life of Pi explain that humans need stories and faith in stories to cope with the irrational madness of life. Pi's experiences on the life raft horrify any who hear them, including Pi himself. To give himself the comforting closure that humans desperately need, he justifies his survival through the marvelous tale of determination, faith, and ingenuity, involving a Bengal tiger, a cannibalistic island, and numerous wonders of the sea (the novel). As Pi explains to the Japanese investigators, it matters not which story is true; rather, it matters which story gives the listener closure. After asking them which story they like better, both agree that "the story with animals is the better story" (Martel 319). The two investigators, like all people, prefer the wonders which the animal story provides over the horrors of reality. Martel believes the same of religion. Stories comprise the core of religions. Faith in a religion is faith in a story. Just like Pi places his faith in the animal story over faith in reality, humans choose faith in religion over faith in reality. Which story is 'the real one' matters not, "and so it [faith] goes with God" (Martel 320). Martel's novel does teach readers that all religions are the same; all religions are stories in which we place faith to cope with the harshness of reality.
Prior to our work with Life of Pi, I could identify symbols, motifs, and allusions with fair accuracy, but did not understand the why or so what behind these devices. After the unit, I not only identified symbols, motifs, and allusions, but also asked the "so what" and "why" questions with regard to an author's use of the devices. This unit introduced the concept of frame narrative to me and, while I did not fully understand the concept yet, I began to identify and question its use. Life of Pi's helped me to obtain a better understanding for how an author uses details to develop symbols, motifs, and themes. Our writings on the novel strengthened my ability to discuss theme as well as create and share original ideas or responses to a theme. Previously, I felt that I could understand theme well, but I had trouble transferring that understanding into writing. I relearned how to effectively use quotes and properly structure a paragraph around a single topic sentence. These skills had rotted over the summer and the animal symbolism project brought them back. My MLA skills remained satisfactory. I could improve the length of my writing by eliminating extra, unnecessary support as well as making sentences and paragraphs more concise. I often repeated ideas several times for emphasis- something that is not as important in a short paragraph. I also often tried to use too many quotes as support; I should try to improve from this unit's writings by being able to identify and effectively use one most important quote.
Before and After: My Understanding of Life of Pi
During my summer reading of Life of Pi, I believed the story to explain Yann Martel's belief that all religions are the same. Pi's faith in Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam signifies that one's religion matters not; what matters is that one choose a faith, even if it be atheism. I understood this aspect of Martel's message. I did not, however, realize why Martel believes all religions to be so similar. After class and group discussions, as well as personal reflection and research, I now understand that the elements in Life of Pi explain that humans need stories and faith in stories to cope with the irrational madness of life. Pi's experiences on the life raft horrify any who hear them, including Pi himself. To give himself the comforting closure that humans desperately need, he justifies his survival through the marvelous tale of determination, faith, and ingenuity, involving a Bengal tiger, a cannibalistic island, and numerous wonders of the sea (the novel). As Pi explains to the Japanese investigators, it matters not which story is true; rather, it matters which story gives the listener closure. After asking them which story they like better, both agree that "the story with animals is the better story" (Martel 319). The two investigators, like all people, prefer the wonders which the animal story provides over the horrors of reality. Martel believes the same of religion. Stories comprise the core of religions. Faith in a religion is faith in a story. Just like Pi places his faith in the animal story over faith in reality, humans choose faith in religion over faith in reality. Which story is 'the real one' matters not, "and so it [faith] goes with God" (Martel 320). Martel's novel does teach readers that all religions are the same; all religions are stories in which we place faith to cope with the harshness of reality.
Prior to our work with Life of Pi, I could identify symbols, motifs, and allusions with fair accuracy, but did not understand the why or so what behind these devices. After the unit, I not only identified symbols, motifs, and allusions, but also asked the "so what" and "why" questions with regard to an author's use of the devices. This unit introduced the concept of frame narrative to me and, while I did not fully understand the concept yet, I began to identify and question its use. Life of Pi's helped me to obtain a better understanding for how an author uses details to develop symbols, motifs, and themes. Our writings on the novel strengthened my ability to discuss theme as well as create and share original ideas or responses to a theme. Previously, I felt that I could understand theme well, but I had trouble transferring that understanding into writing. I relearned how to effectively use quotes and properly structure a paragraph around a single topic sentence. These skills had rotted over the summer and the animal symbolism project brought them back. My MLA skills remained satisfactory. I could improve the length of my writing by eliminating extra, unnecessary support as well as making sentences and paragraphs more concise. I often repeated ideas several times for emphasis- something that is not as important in a short paragraph. I also often tried to use too many quotes as support; I should try to improve from this unit's writings by being able to identify and effectively use one most important quote.